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Philemon Thomas
Major General
Louisiana Militia

American Revolutionary War Veteran
1778 - 1783
 

U. S. House of Representatives
Louisiana 2nd District
Served 1831 - 1835
Political Party Democrat
Preceded by Henry Hosford Gurley
Succeeded by Eleazer Wheelock Ripley
 
Born
Location		 February 9, 1763
Orange County, VA
Died
Location		 November 18, 1847
Baton Rouge, LA
Cause  
Age 83
 
Education  
Profession Soldier and Politician
 
Spouse 1 Mary Craig
 1781 - Spotsylvania, VA
Children 3 daughters
Spouse 2 Fanny Hawkins
1798
Children none
 
Religion  
Burial Old American Graveyard
Reintered 1886 Baton Rouge National Cemetery
Philemon Thomas, the son of Richard Thomas II and Frances Hawkins, was born 1763 in Virginia.  By about age 16, in 1778, he was enlisted in Col. Archibald Little's North Carolina regiment. 

During the years of the Revolutionary War, he served 12 months as a private, 3 months as quartermaster, 12 months as sergeant and 7 months as ensign.  Between these tours of duty he served briefly with scouting parties against the Tories.  He served under Gen. Nathanael Green during the Battle of Guilford Court House.

His older brother, Richard Thomas III, also began service under Col. Archibald Little in his North Carolina regiment.

After the war Philemon Thomas settled in Kentucky and served as a delegate to the convention to frame the constitution of the State of Kentucky.  He then served in the Kentucky House of Representatives 1796 - 1799 and the state Senate from 1800-1803,

By 1806 he moved to Louisiana which had been purchased from France in 1803. He became a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.  He commanded the forces which captured the Spanish Fort at Baton Rouge in 1810.  Also captured was Don Carlos Duhalt de Lassus, the Spanish governor of the Baton Rouge district.

He was Major General of the Louisiana Militia in the War of 1812.

While presiding officer of the Louisiana House of Representatives, in 1823 he presented
the resolution recommending support for Henry Clay for President.  The approved
resolution was also signed by three future governors of Louisiana:
Beauvais, Dupre and Roman.

He later served as U. S. Representative of Louisiana for two terms from 1831 to 1835.

He lived a long life, dying at the age of about 83 in 1847.  He now rests in the Baton Rouge
National Cemetery after an initial burial in the Old American Graveyard, which no longer
exists.

To The
Memory of
GENL. PHILEMON THOMAS
who was born
in Orange County, Va.
Feb. 9th 1763.
and died
in Baton Rouge La.
Nov. 18th 1847.

This tablet is erected by
his children.

He was a soldier of '76 and of '14, a member
of the convention that framed the Constitution
of Kentucky and a member of her Legislature.
     He removed to Louisiana in 1806
Commanded the forces which captured the
Spanish Fort at Baton Rouge in 1810.  Served
many years in the Legislature of Louisiana,
and was twice elected to the Congress of the
U. S.  Throughout his career he was called
a patriot and a good Citizen. we knew him
to be a kind father and a firm Christian.

Sie tibi un Terta levis.

SAR
1775

N. S.
U. S. D.
1812

IN HONOR OF SERVICE
IN THE WAR OF 1812

MAJOR GENERAL
PHILEMAN THOMAS
 

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La-Cemeteries©
Copyright © 2011.
All Rights Reserved.